Battle of Selhabium

The Battle of Selhabium (47 BC) was a battle of the Roman Civil War between the House of Julii and the House of Brutii. The army of Julius Caesar was victorious over the loyalists of the Brutii, conquering eastern Syria.

History
Julius Caesar's defeat of Pompey the Great in September 48 BC pushed the Pompeiians out of the position of power that they once had, so Caesar dispatched an army of 981 troops under Kaeso Publicius Ulpanius - a former centurion of his army in the Gallic Wars - to combat the rising threat of the House of Brutii in the east. The Julii army invaded eastern Syria, where the Brutii assembled 754 troops under Decimus Caninius Turibius to fight the Julii. The armies met in the desert at Selhabium (Tell Salhab, Hama Governorate), and battle was joined there.

Battle
The army of the Julii were better-equipped, with their strong legionnaries facing weaker Brutii hastati and other units. The Brutii went on the offensive, attacking the Julii positions, but the Julii auxilia javelinmen and cavalry moved to a safe distance as the Julii infantry charged the weaker Brutii troops. The Julii triumphed over the Brutii infantry in brutal melee combat, and Turibius was narrowly able to flee after almost all of his bodyguards were killed while taking part in the hacking and slashing of the battle. The Julii pursued the Brutii, slaughtering some of the Brutii units that stopped routing to fight. The Brutii army was thoroughly destroyed, with 580 Brutii troops dying in the battle while the Julii lost 88 dead. This victory gave the Julii control of eastern Syria.